Forms: 5 cawce wey, cawcy wey, 6–8 causey-way; 6– cause-way, causeway; also 6–7 causway, 7 cawsway, cowsway, (caused-, cawsedway), casseway, caseway, Sc. caulsway. [In 15th c. caucé-wey, caucy-wey, f. caucé, caucy CAUSEY + WAY. The compound has to a great extent taken the place of the simple causey, which, where it survives in local use, is apt to be treated as a corruption of this. On the other hand, etymologists have erroneously guessed that causeway was merely a corruption of causey.]
1. A road formed on a ‘causey’ or mound; a raised road across a low or wet place, or piece of water; formerly also applied to a mole or landing-pier running into the sea or a river; = CAUSEY 2.
The Giant’s Causeway (or Causey): a natural formation in county Antrim, Ireland, consisting of a collection of basaltic columns extending like a mole or pier into the sea.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 64. Cawcewey [K. H. cavuce, 1499 cawcy wey], calcetum.
1571. Campion, Hist. Irel., II. v. (1633), 81. Edified sundry Castles, cawswayes, and bridges.
a. 1619. Daniel, Coll. Hist. Eng. (1621), 28. Finding the case-way long and the bridge narrow, caused his vantguard to passe ouer first.
1643. Evelyn, Diary, 12 Nov. To crosse a vally by a causeway and a bridge built over a small river.
1651. Jer. Taylor, Course Serm., I. viii. 95. Dig down the Causeywayes.
1662. Fuller, Worthies, I. 34. Builders of Bridges … and makers of Caused waies, or Causways (which are Bridges over dirt).
1666. Pepys, Diary, 5 Jan. The … running out of causeways into the river.
1796. Morse, Amer. Geog., II. 425. Narrow causeways are raised a foot and a half on each side, for … foot passengers.
1855. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., III. 244. A narrow paved causeway which ran across the bog was the only road by which the cavalry of the Enniskilleners could advance.
1853. Phillips, Rivers Yorksh., ix. 244. Roman roads … traversing the … marshy ground by causeways.
fig. 1642. S. Ash, Refuge most Oppressed, 25. The Lord our Saviour hath cast up such a caus-way to Heaven.
2. A highway; usually a paved way, such as existed before the introduction of macadamization. Now historical, or forming part of the name of ancient ways, esp. the Roman roads, the military roads of the 17th c., etc.; = CAUSEY 3, 4.
1611. Coryat, Crudities, 53. Betwixt Neuers and Moulins, was a goodly faire pitched casse-way.
1611. Speed, Theat. Gt. Brit., xxii. (1614), 43/2. That ancient Causey-way, which is called Watling-street.
1708. Luttrell, Brief Rel., 30 Sept. To encamp on the causey ways of Dovay and Arras.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 36, ¶ 6. The Confederate Army extends … on the Causeway between Tournay and Lisle, to Epain.
1726. Swift, Corr., Wks. 1841, II. 596/1. Gallop a foundered horse ten miles upon a causeway and get home safe.
1851. D. Wilson, Preh. Ann. (1863), II. III. ii. 55. The Roman road popularly styled the Fishwives’ causeway.
1860. Froude, Hist. Eng., VI. 177. The road or causeway on which Wyatt was expected to advance, ran nearly on the site of Piccadilly.
b. fig.
1597. Bp. Hall, Sat., III. v. 22. Much I mervailed, To see so large a caus-way in his head.
1646. J. Hall, Horæ Vac., 56. These are Cause-wayes of ambition as well as fame.
1649. J. H., Motion to Parl., 14. What directer caus-way could you finde to the aggrandization of your owne glory?
1672. Marvell, Reh. Transp., I. 76. Who hath paved a broad Causway with Mortal Virtue thorow his kingdom.
3. Put for CAUSEY in other senses.
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, ii. I … care not which side of the causeway my daughter and I walk upon, so we may keep our road in peace and quietness.
1853. Reade, Chr. Johnstone, 175. She drew near enough to the wall to allow room for another on the causeway.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 170. A causeway has been constructed on the beach to arrest the progress of the sea.
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., IX. viii. (1849), 433. A woeful thing to have heard as causeway talk.
